The Outlaw
by Mooneys
Summary: The arrival of a new mysterious shecat in ThunderClan creates tension between two best friends and foster brothers. Meanwhile, a deadly prophecy is being put into play by a past enemy and some cats may not be as quite innocent as they seem.
1. They Shall Come

The Outlaw

Chapter 1

"They Shall Come"

* * *

It was night. Moonlight flittered into the clearing, causing the small pool in the center to glisten brightly in the darkness. Bracken and other plants swayed in the cold wind, causing a gentle rustling to stir in the quite night.

It did not stay quite for long. Approaching pawsteps crushed many dead leaves and a cat entered the small clearing. It was a huge, brown tom, amber eyes glistening with the hope of revenge. He swept the clearing with his harsh gaze, alert and searching for a sign of another presence. There was none.

He stepped forward, his muscular paws sinking into the soft mud around waters edge. Hawkfrost's eyes lit up, and he raised his head to the heavens, calling out words of a strange tongue as he did so.

The pool before him began to shimmer, forming a picture of another cat before him. But he stopped midway and the picture vanished. Hawkfrost's eyes narrowed as another cat stepped into the clearing, her blue pelt glistening like the pool, giving her a ghostly appearance.

"Bluestar," the cat hissed venomously. The former leader nodded in acknowledgment.

"Hawkfrost, you must stop. You are attempting the impossible and bringing harm to the forest while doing it."

"No!" Hawkfrost cried, his ambition, as also, clearly visible. "I will succeed! I have not done harm to the clans; I have done them a favor! Soon my father and I shall be free of this terrible curse!"

"Even if you are free of your curse, you cannot join Starclan hunting grounds! Where will you go then, Hawkfrost?"

Hawkfrost gave a smirk so malicious that it sent shivers down Bluestar's spine, and the she-cat's eyes grew wide, her voice but a tiny whisper in the vast forest. "No Hawkfrost, you haven't."

"I have!" roared the tom. "And I will! Soon I shall be as free as a newborn kit! The Prophecy has been written Bluestar, there's no stopping it now!"

Unfortunately, he was right. But Bluestar wasn't one to back down. Even if it couldn't be stopped, she could guide the cats along the way.

And that's exactly what she would do.

* * *

A slender figure hurried across the clearing, paws pounding against the ground. She moved swiftly, eyes contorted in concentration, and continued on through the sticky mud.

She wasn't alone. A group of cats pursued her, each muscular and menacing, fur matted down with fresh, scarlet blood. The closest one let out a yowl, signaling to the others to get the job down, and they picked up their speed, catching up quickly to the younger cat.

The nearest one leaped, claws at the ready, towards her, but the she-cat ducked, her pursuer flying overhead. Another cat came running forth, white foam dripping from his snarling mouth. This time, the she-cat rolled out of the way, his claws slicing the spot she had been moments before.

She wasn't done yet. With her hind legs, she kicked up, striking the cat under its chin and causing him to stumble backwards in surprise. Quickly she pushed herself up as her first attacker recovered, running forward with his amber eyes narrowed dangerously. She stepped aside and he ran a little farther out before circling and come back. The she-cat chose to also running in a circle, making the two look like wolves readying to fight.

She didn't complete her circle, for when she reached the spot her other attacker was recovering she leaped onto him, forcing his skull into the mud. Wasting no time, she jumped toward the other cat, landing on his back, making him collapse beneath her. She grabbed the tom's ears firmly with her teeth, stretching them slightly, before she attempted to fling the cat away. This half worked, as the cat was much bigger than she, but she still managed to throw him slightly to the side.

By now the other had recovered and, rather than fighting, trotted over to his leader's side casually. The last cat too stood and join the other. She relaxed a bit, emerald eyes taking in her pursuers.

There were five, only of which two had attacked. Each was white with splotches of black and the blood on their pelts. All wore sneers and smirks, and the leader stepped forward.

"Storm the Outlaw," his voice was icy, as expected, and the light caught his eyes just enough to give them a glint of pure evil. "One of the Legendaries in training, we have been given orders to 'exterminate' you for treason."

The she-cat, Storm, glared, her green eyes like thorns, but she still wore an amused sort of expression. "Treason? Guess you found out about that little plan of ours. Tell me, have you already 'exterminated' the others?"

"Most," the leader spoke in a controlled tone, yet something about his voice made Storm suspect he was going to leap at any given moment. "But you…you've been expecting us, haven't you?" He grinned, his yellow teeth glistening oddly in the night.

"Maybe," shrugged Storm. "But you're not going to beat me either way. As you said, I'm a Legendary in Training, and you are exterminators. You don't stand a chance." Storm's face was now covered with a triumphant smirk.

The leader's eyes narrowed. "So you think," He flicked his head and his troop spread out into a circle, each prepared for bloodshed.

The leading cat gave a loud yowl and began-he kicked into motion, jumping forward and tackling Storm to the ground. Storm hissed and rolled sideways, causing the cat to slightly loosen his grip. She quickly kicked him off her and ran past, through the opening he had left.

Two more cats moved in and blocked her passageway, but Storm was prepared and took a mighty jump, landing on top of another cat. He fell and Storm quickly raced off of him and through the clearing, searching for a hiding spot.

She found one. The she-cat was quickly approaching a large wooden house with large creatures they knew as horses roaming within a fenced area. Storm scurried under the fence and across the untidy lawn; to Storm's relief the barn doors were wide open and she sprinted inside, ducking behind a rather large barrel of hay to conceal herself.

The Exterminators were quick to follow. They prowled around; noses high and claws unsheathed, but luckily for Storm the stench of horse was so great that it clouded their nostrils.

Finally, after many minutes of cats coming to close for comfort, the leader growled and sighed in defeat, "She's not here. We must hurry. She could have gone back to hide with her other comrades by now." Upon hearing this, the cats briskly exited without another sniff.

Storm waited several seconds before stepping out of her hiding space and taking a few steps outside into the cool, misty night. Stars twinkled down from the heavens, reflecting oddly in Storm's clouded green eyes.

She stood there for a few minutes before a strong yet gentle voice called out, "Storm,"

She jumped and turned abruptly, hissing out, "Who said my name?"

"It was I," the voice said again and, again, Storm glanced around but saw no one.

"Who are you?" Storm asked, wondering if perhaps she had gone mental. The voice replied by chuckling, and then a strange light glowed in front of her and suddenly there was a cat there. Her coat was blue, as Storm's was, her eyes determined and she had a sense of authority above her that made Storm wonder whether she should crouch down at her presence, as she did to her previous leader. But there was something different about this cat; she seemed vague, almost ghostly.

"Who are you?" Storm asked, her voice quivering.

"I," meowed the cat, strong and with pride, "Am Bluestar. And I am here to guide you."

"Guide me?" repeated the smaller she-cat. Bluestar's response was a nod.

"Yes. You have a great destiny to fulfill Storm, and I shall guide you through it. And right now, I need you to go and seek shelter in a tribe of cats known as ThunderClan. They may refuse, but you must insist that you stay. There is where your destiny will begin. Understand?"

"ThunderClan?" Storm meowed, bemused. "Destiny? But-"

"ThunderClan," Bluestar interrupted, "Is that way." She flicked her tail toward a wide, long stretch of land that extended, Storm thought, very far until in reached a forest. "Inside that forest you shall find your new home, ThunderClan. And there, you will work with others-some may have traveled far, and some not, but they will come and together your destiny shall be fulfilled."

Storm was prepared to bombard Bluestar with question, but she never got the opportunity, for when she had turned from the path she was to take back to Bluestar, the cat was gone.

She was quickly approaching a large wooden house, horses roaming within a fenced area. Her new discovery was a farm, and she scurried under the fence, hiding amongst the long grass under a nearby horse. The larger animal was oblivious.

The Exterminators were quick to follow. They sniffed and prowled around, poking their noises and claws everywhere. They were nearing here, but if this worked out the way Storm planned, the horse's scent would disguise her own and the tall grass would hide her blue coat.

Her planned was failing. The leader was fast approaching her hiding spot, claws at the ready. He sniffed once more and moved towards her, eyes scanning the grass for Storm's blue pelt. Storm could hear her heart beating faster, faster in her chest and she tensed, again prepared to fight this cat.

That didn't happen. The horse seemed to suddenly notice him, and its eyes widened as he kicked up, calling out loudly in fear. The leader shrank back and away from the horse, sinking into the grass, but the horse continued its fearful rant, kicking up grass and still screeching in terror.

* * *

_They shall come, _the chorus of voices whispered in his ears. He thrashed uncomfortably. The tom and struggled to open his eyes for a glimpse of her surroundings, but his eyelids seemed tons heavier than they were, and wouldn't budge.

_They shall come and_

_The good they do shall be vast,_

_But the terror they bring will be great_

_And the forest will cry at there work and_

_They shall come._

_And two shall fight for the heart of a traitor,_

_And one shall bring the downfall to another,_

_And only when the darkened one opens his eyes to the light,_

_Shall the banished one return, _

_On the cursed night the Moon is swallowed by darkness,_

He thrashed some more, unable to wiggle more than a few tail lengths before he dropped to the ground in tire. Murmurs all around him in strange, far-off voices whispered eerily, _they shall come, _

* * *

Jaypaw's eyes snapped open though nothing came into view. He gasped, and pushed himself to his paws, padding outside into the clearing. Jaypaw inclined his head slightly upward, checking on the whether conditions.

It was cold, and the whipping wind that bristled Jaypaw's fur made him suspect the first of winter's snow was on the way. Although all Jaypaw noted was darkness, he suspected that the first patches of blue sky were beginnings to edge their way through the night sky.

Usually, when Jaypaw was awake early, he wished that he could watch the sunrise, and from then on spent the morning and most of the day fantasizing the beautiful sky being painted with vivid colors as the sun emerged, but today he thought only of the puzzling dream.

"That had to be a prophecy," he murmured, "but what of?"

* * *

**Author's Note: **Short and sweet, I intended to make it longer but didn't get the chance. Anyway, what do you think? It's my first Warriors epic I've written for awhile, but I think this will turn out to best one yet.

Warriors is property of Erin Hunter and I do not own it. It is used without permission, but hey, isn't everybody else's too?


	2. The Arriving Storm

The Outlaw

Chapter 2

"The Arriving Storm"

* * *

It was sun-high.

Sun-high was Nightpaw's favorite time of day. Everything seemed lush and more plentiful at sun-high; the fresh-kill piling was always reaching its peak, prey was always scurrying around the undergrowth, and it always seemed like everyone was in a wonderful mood at sun-high.

Today, however, that was not the case. Jaypaw was in a foul mood, it was easy to tell. He snapped viciously at the kits, did his work disdainfully, and spent nearly the whole morning concealed within the Medicine Cat's den where, after hearing about Jaypaw's brutal mood, everyone did there best to stay away from. Even Leafpool seemed reluctant to journey into her den, but did, and returned alive and well. And Nightpaw, being the loyal friend he was, felt it upon himself to comfort his friend.

After all, Nightpaw thought, on the fateful night when Nightpaw's companions had been savagely killed by foxed and Nightpaw himself had been driven from his home and into ThunderClan territory, it had been Jaypaw who had tended to his wounds and befriended him. And when Squirrelflight had announced that she was adopting Nightpaw, it had been Jaypaw who had first accepted him as a brother and friend. So, Nightpaw decided he owed it to Jaypaw to check on him.

Nightpaw approached the den cautiously; since Jaypaw was in a murderous mood he didn't know what to expect. The kits Jaypaw had been rude to earlier were flinging a dead mouse everywhere, pretending to hunt it as though it was a bird. Nightpaw grabbed a vole out of the fresh-kill pile and entered the Medicine Cat's den.

Jaypaw was lying in the back, muttering to himself and thrashing around. Upon his frosterbrother's arrival, he jumped up, glowering, and hissed, "What do you want?"

"I brought you something to eat, Jaypaw," Nightpaw purred. He had tried to sound soothing, but he sounded as though he was plotting something instead. "StarClan knows you've been locked up in here for so long you must be hungry."

Jaypaw seemed to have suddenly dropped his malicious mood. "Yeah, I am, thanks…" the two then proceeded to share the meal.

"So Jaypaw, why haven't you left the den all day?" Nightpaw asked, licking the juicy remains of his lips. Jaypaw fidgeted for a moment and examined the ground in hesitation.

"Oh, no reason really…I just had a disturbing dream, that's all," he lied. Nightpaw seemed to have bought it, for he only licked his lips once more thoughtfully, for which Jaypaw was thankful. He didn't feel like sharing his burden at the moment; he hadn't even gotten round to telling Firestar or Leafpool about it yet and didn't intend too.

Nightpaw was still mulling things over. This made Jaypaw nervous. His foster brother thought things over very hard before accepting them, and was very good at discovering truths. "But why would a dream keep you up here all day?" Then, very suddenly, Nightpaw leaped up, eyes wide and excited, and he gasped, "Unless it was a prophecy!"

Jaypaw scowled. He should have known better than to try hiding things from Nightpaw-the cat was just too clever for his own good. "So, what was it about?" Nightpaw prodded. He was very curious; it was easy to tell, evening without seeing. Jaypaw shuffled his paws.

"I can't tell you," he admitted sadly. "I'm not even sure myself."

"Have you told Firestar yet?" asked Nightpaw.

"No, and I'm not going to," Jaypaw told him firmly.

Appalled, Nightpaw gasped. "But-you have to don't you? I mean, it's in the Warrior Code!"

"No, it's not," Jaypaw meowed quickly. He wasn't sure if it was true or not and didn't care; since Nightpaw wasn't born a clan-cat he wouldn't be sure himself. Nightpaw seemed to take the bait. He was shuffling-Jaypaw could tell by the sound of his paw-steps.

"Well, if you're sure," he sighed. "But I still think you should-"

"Nightpaw? You in there?"

Nightpaw froze. It was Birchfall, his mentor. "Yes!" He called back.

"Well, get out! We're going on the sun-high patrol!"

"Coming!" And Nightpaw hurried out. Jaypaw silently thanked StarClan. He didn't want to talk about the prophecy to anyone yet-and he wasn't going to.

* * *

Storm stretched, flexing her muscles in the sunlight. She had continued on the course Bluestar had instructed her to follow, and the only interesting thing that had happened was that she had been chased away by a group of angry little kittens that called themselves a 'WindClan Patrol', whatever that was. After Storm had leaped over a stream, they had retreated like the kits they were.

The Exterminators hadn't caught up yet; for which Storm was thankful. She didn't want to deal with them anytime soon, for as they had said, she was an Outlaw, and Outlaws paid the price. A throbbing pain echoed in her heart. She thought of her friends, also Outlaws, and wondered if they had yet been slaughtered by the exterminators. She shook away the thought.

Hungry clawed at her stomach, deciding it was time for a snack. Storm agreed. She wasn't a good hunter at all, for she had been trained to become a Legendary, but she knew the basics. Straining her ears, Storm heard rustling in some undergrowth and dropped into a crouch, stalking her prey soundlessly.

It was a mouse. A fat little guy too, her mouth watered just at the sight of him. Storm leaped, paws crashing down hard onto the little things back, and in an elegant swipe she had silenced it. Licking her lips vainly, Storm prepared to feast but instead narrowed her piercing green eyes as another sound hit her ears; this one of thunder paw-steps, running towards her.

Storm jumped backwards-and only a second later a cat was crouching where she had been. He was a dark brown tom, amber eyes glaring at her with malice. And he wasn't alone. More cats followed, surrounding Storm, all glowering and hissing. There were four of them, 2 grown and muscular, but the other two looking no older than she was and quite feeble.

"Get off of ThunderClan territory, you dirty rogue!" one of the smaller ones hissed. She was small and gray, and her eyes were like thunder.

Storm snorted, and replied with two, simple words. "Make me."

The small cat yowled and leaped, claws unsheathed. Storm slashed out, claws raking over her face and paw hitting her face hard, knocking her away. Instantly two more cats moved up. A light brown tabby-tom, Birchfall, and a dark pelted cat whose name was Nightpaw. Storm licked her claws nonchalantly and slashed out. Her paw found the light brown tom's face, and she knocked him aside, then moved towards him and raked her along his side. The cat snarled and slashed out, but Storm was quicker. She jumped back, avoiding injury, and seeing the black cat launch himself at her.

Storm worked quickly, throwing herself at him. The two collided mid-air, and by the look of raw shock on the other cat's face Storm was quite sure he had never seen this move before. She knocked him to the ground and landed on top of him, shoving his skull down into the soft earth. Storm snarled and clamped her jaws around his neck. Warm blood bubbled in Storm's mouth, a pleasant taste for the sadistic she-cat. She adjusted her teeth so they were gripping his scruff tightly, then mustered her strength and threw him aside. The cat lay, shocked, sprawled out on the bracken.

The small gray cat and large brown one had returned for more. She lashed out at the gray one with her front claws, blood spraying across the forest floor. She screeched, and Storm launched herself at the bigger tom. He slashed-his claws ripping into her face and scarlet blood trickled down her cheek. Storm gasped, but did not recoil. She smacked him across the face, a bemused look blooming, before managing to dig her claws deep into his shoulder and kicked him away with her hind legs.

All the cats had stood up once more and surrounded her. Each had some kind of wound that, Storm thought proudly, she had managed to inflict. Each was panting, but ready for more. However, the big brown tom glanced at them, sharing a silent message to back down. He then spoke,

"You're not from around here, are you?" he meowed, curious. Storm hesitated. If the Exterminators were still on her trail, which they probably were, it could be dangerous to tell him anything. However, they weren't very good fighters, and Storm could easily kill them if it came to that.

"No," she meowed. "I'm not. My name is Storm and I come from beyond the farm over there," she flicked her tail towards the farm; it was far away now. The cat's eyes followed her tail and he nodded.

"What are you doing so far from home?" he questioned. "And why are you on ThunderClan territory?"

"I was chased from my home," Storm lied. Telling the truth would be a death sentence, she figured. "Monstrous cats came and took it from me. I didn't know this 'territory' belonged to other cats."

"Well, it does!" snarled the gray she-cat. The big brown tom silenced her with a flick of his tail. "That's enough, Hazelpaw."

Something suddenly flickered in the light brown cat's face, and he quickly added, "Brambleclaw, you're not thinking-"

But the other, Brambleclaw, stopped him. "I am." Yowls of protest rang up from the other cats.

"That's outrageous Brambleclaw! The others clans already call us the Kittypet Clan, taking in a rogue would just make it worse! Besides, if ShadowClan found out about it then they'd definitely try to take more territory from us, if not attack us directly! Think about it Brambleclaw! Think!"

"I _have _thought, Birchfall!" Brambleclaw replied irritably. "That drought killed Berrypaw, Honeypaw, and Thornclaw! And now, Foxkit is ill! Even with Icekit becoming an apprentice soon, we're short on Warriors! And you saw how good Storm is-she could be a big help to the Clan!"

Storm suddenly felt very confused. She had heard everyone of Brambleclaw's words loud and clear, but they didn't make any sense. Birchfall was now muttering to himself, while Hazelpaw looked like she was aflame and the black cat was still looking indifferent. Brambleclaw turned to Storm calmly and asked her in a pleasant tone, "Storm, you don't have a home now, do you?" Storm shook her head. "Well then, would you like to live with ThunderClan?"

"What?" Storm asked, still utterly bemused. "What's ThunderClan?"

"ThunderClan," Brambleclaw explained calmly. "Is a group of cats that live on this territory. Why don't you come with us and see Firestar-he'll explain it all to you. And if you don't want to you can go somewhere else."

"Alright," Storm agreed hesitantly. This place wasn't as far as she would have liked from home, but if it was the best she could do she'd stay. The other cats didn't seem to live this idea. Birchfall walked behind them, Brambleclaw in front, and the other two cats by her side. They walked in silence, and as they went Storm looked over the wounds she had created on the other cats. They were deep, but that wasn't new. Even when practicing, Storm always fought brutally. These cats, however, seemed unaffected by the pain Storm knew they were causing.

The black tom looked back at her and offered a weak smile. Storm, surprised, smiled back. And Nightpaw quickly turned away feeling his cheeks burn with embarrassment.

* * *

Jaypaw was tense.

That wasn't surprising; he was always tense when in a bad mood. But with the prophecy topping it, he was tenser than usual. When he had finished sorting herbs, he sat in the back of the Medicine Cat's den, face contorted in concentration as he tried to remember the prophecy. To his surprise, it wasn't hard at all to recall the exact words, almost as though they had been branded into his fur.

_They shall come and_

_The good they do shall be vast,_

_But the terror they bring will be great,_

_And the forest will cry at there work and_

_They shall came,_

_And two shall fight for the heart of a traitor,_

_And one shall bring the downfall to another,_

_And only when the darkened one opens his eyes to the light,_

_Shall the banished one return,_

_On the cursed night the Moon is swallowed by darkness,_

Jaypaw shivered as the prophecy replayed itself in his mind, but he didn't shut it out. It was necessary, he _had _to figure out what the prophecy meant and he had to do it alone. He listened over and over, thinking through each word but still nothing came to mind.

"Jaypaw!" A little voice called out excitedly. Jaypaw jumped up, unseeing eyes looking widely around. How long had past? He had lost his sense of time completely while working. "Jaypaw, guess what?"

It was Icekit. The little kit was almost six moons now, and hyper as ever. Still, Jaypaw enjoyed his company.

"What is it, Icekit?" Jaypaw asked, trying to sound interested. He guessed it was some silly kit thing, like he'd caught a butterfly. But it wasn't like that at all.

"The sun-high patrol came back with a rogue! And Firestar says she's gonna join the clan! She's really pretty Jaypaw! And according to the others a really good fighter too!"

"A good fighter…" Jaypaw mused. Icekit's words just began to register in his mind when another voice called out.

"Jaypaw!" It was Leafpool this time. "The sun-high patrol got into a fight and they were wounded. It's nothing too bad, but I think we should treat them so it doesn't get infected."

"Right," Jaypaw agreed, although inside he groaned. "Who were they injured by?"

"A rogue," Leafpool replied. By the sounds in the den it seemed as though she was looking for herbs. "Firestar's asked her to join the clan. She accepted."

"Another one?" Jaypaw groaned. "Why is ThunderClan taking in so many foster cats?"

"Because Firestar is generous, that's why," Leafpool told him sternly. Then she lowered her voice and whispered to Jaypaw, "And Brambleclaw says she fights like no cat he's ever seen. He thinks she could help with the ShadowClan problem."

"Ah," Jaypaw said, grabbing a few herbs himself. Icekit sat, beaming up at him.

"May I help Jaypaw?" he asked excitedly.

"Not today." Jaypaw told him. Icekit frowned but left the den just as the patrol entered.

A good fighter was an understatement, Jaypaw thought as he and Leafpool worked. The wounds were deep and severe, and although the warriors weren't complaining he knew they had to be painful. He found himself treating Nightpaw, who was going on about the rogue they had encountered.

"She's the best fighter I've ever seen Jaypaw! The very best! And she's beautiful too," he added shyly.

"Sounds like you're in love," Jaypaw smirked. Nightpaw didn't response, but instead began to notice the pattern in the dirt below him. A silence bloomed between the two. "You're done." Jaypaw said finally. "Go get some rest, you'll be needing it!"

"Alright!" Nightpaw agreed, then exited. As he did so, another cat entered.

"It's just a scratch. I don't need anything for it." The voice was unfamiliar. A she-cat's.

"Yes you do, Storm. Brambleclaw's always been a good fighter, and I want to make sure it doesn't get infected." This time, Leafpool spoke.

"It won't," the other cat assured. "Now please let me leave!"

"Not until I've had a look at that cut," Leafpool reasoned. There was some grunting from the other cat, but she allowed Leafpool to nurse her wound. Curious, Jaypaw walked over.

Although his eyes were sightless, Jaypaw could practically see Storm's shiny blue pelt and intense green eyes, and somehow saw her eyes widen and she backed away at the sight of another cat.

"Storm, this is Jaypaw, my apprentice," Leafpool introduced. "Jaypaw, this is Storm. She's just joined the clan." Jaypaw offered a timid smile. He hoped she smiled back. Leafpool continued her work while Jaypaw observed, telling Storm about the ways of the clan.

Finally, Leafpool finished and Storm departed to the apprentice den. Jaypaw watched her go with sightless eyes. Something about her gave him the shivers, but whether it was good or bad he knew not.

* * *

Author's Notes: Quite frankly, I hate this chapter. I just posted it because I hadn't updated in awhile. I'll probably edit it and re-post. Anyway, enjoy and please review


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